raisetheearth | [Video] [Shepherd's Haven]

[The feed shows a young man who looks to be in his late teens or early twenties; it could honestly go either way. Suffice it to say he's around Tony's age, and he's super excited and shirtless despite the brisk weather in the southern hemisphere.]

S-so. How about these goo things, huh?

[A twitchy smile. Despite being Numbered now, for a long time he wasn't, and he's still paying some penance for a past crime. He feels like he hasn't quite earned Network privileges yet, in other words.]

I'm Luca D-Dantonio. Uh. Some of you might remember me from the thing with Al-Albero. But even before I got my Number, you guys were great to me. No boss ever treated me like that, so uh. I hope that there was never any doubt or anything but I want you guys and the newbies to know that I'm on your side, OK? I'm loyal. If anyone can say anything about me it's that. I'll even fix your stuff up for you, my Other was some kind of mechanic I think.

Oh...! Oh, also, one of my echoes says that m-my guy's name was Nux. I kind of like that. Simple. You can call me that. I'd actually kind of like it b-better if it's OK to ask for.

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Nah, no. No, I know what he did. And what I did. You don't have to tell me again.

Edited 2015-08-06 02:00 (UTC)

I know what it's like to need time too, so... yeah. Good luck, I guess. But it's going to be a while before I can be comfortable with this, personally speaking.

[... He's sensing just a bit of insecurity about this intelligence thing.]

Yes, I've got it. I know you won't have any problem.

I'm just sayin', I dunno what you were expecting.

Dunno. People being more... accepting and understanding, I guess.

I feel like it was all OK when I was just mopping floors and mucking out stalls but now that I have my own Number, people suddenly think that I'm not good enough or something.

[Maybe a little. Though Lazarus is as well-meaning as the day is long, he has a way of making people feel dumb sometimes. Something about the way he looks at them when they mess up or fail to understand, and that's happened a fair amount with Nux.]

Maybe you could tell some of the others who don't know that. They'll listen to you because you're smart.

[That's how it works, right?]

Th-thanks for the wishes. I guess. If you want there are people that can vouch for my character. T-Tony's the one I shot and we're f-friends now.

But if you just need to g-get used to it on your own time, I understand that too.

[Nathan is prone to a variation of that himself -- a sort of blank confusion on how somebody could fail to understand certain things. He doesn't mean to make anyone feel stupid, but it's probably happened.]

Ah . . . They . . . really just need some time to see for themselves, I think.

[Life would be easier if that were all it took for people to listen to him.]

[Nux would be correct. He'll call the guy what he wants to be called because he's not a complete asshole, but there's no way in the devil's fiery hell that he's going to give him a clean slate just because he asks for one.]

Yeah, that'd be me. Name's Richard.

W-wait! You don't have to apologize... to me.

[It's not like it was his fault. So, why worry? Was he really that sad about it...?

So... does that means that they should start over? Rakka will just shake her head, getting those bad memories out of there.]

Uhh... so...

[Oh, it's definitely happened. But not being particularly bright himself, that happens a lot, and it's not just the geniuses that make him feel kind of on the dumb side.]

Yeah, you're right. But you'd try, wouldn't you? If someone asked, you'd be like... 'Nux is a good guy?'

I know. I mean, I've been around for awhile, since that one time, and I've heard your name. I worked for the school and evacuated there and then c-came here.

Tony talks about me sometimes, yeah? We're kind of friends n-now.

I... I feel like I should though. Being mixed up in all of that, I mean, someone should apologize. Numbered had it really hard for awhile even c-compared to now and I c-contributed to that.

So sorry, I mean it.

Yeah, good for you. Listen. You shot my kid. Think about that for a fuckin' second. You shot my kid.

[Tony, honestly, probably knows better than to bring his name up at all. If he ever wants to talk about that time... which is rare, if it ever happens.]

You think about that.. and you give me one fuckin' reason to just forget about it an' believe I can trust you.

I would say that you haven't given me a reason to distrust you since we met, yes. [Okay, it's not quite the same thing; he probably hasn't phrased this in the best way, but Nathan is Nathan. He understands completely why people are having these reactions. He'd been rather uneasy himself when he'd first learned of Nux's history.]

I... I've thought about it for a lot of seconds. Uh. I know it's not a g-good thing.

You don't have to forget it and you don't have to t-trust me. Uh. But I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to stop wanting to help.

... Look. Take it from someone who carries a lot of darkness themselves... getting other people to vouch for you can turn into an excuse.

Wow! OK, yeah, thanks! That's great!

[He's so simply and easily satisfied.]

Huh?

Excuses? What do you mean? I d-don't want to make an excuse, just... if people can't take my word, they gotta take someone's, yeah?

I mean, you need to show you're good, and believe yourself that you're good.

I don't know. It made sense in my head. Sorry.

Yeah, we did... [Rakka knew that firsthand.] W-we had to go through a lot before people liked us again, and I guess... there's people out there that still don't like the Numbered being around.

But... I want to accept your apology. I think you really mean it.

[She put on a tiny smile. She could trust in Luca's empathy.]

[This is probably why they manage to get along as well as they do; it's harder to make a social flub with people who are easily satisfied.

[He is still not used to such enthusiastic praise, and it sort of comes through in his voice.] It is . . . all I can do. As long as you understand that it will still take time and your own efforts to show you mean what you say. That will mean more than anything I can tell someone.

No, you're right. I like that. About believing it myself. Some days it's harder, you know? Remembering how things were and how they're better now and that I d-deserve to be here. I'll work harder at it.

Kay. One more bit of advice?

You never stop working on that sort of thing. That feeling never really leaves you.

Well those people are dumb idiots. And I d-do really mean it. I meant it even before I got mine.

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